The figure heads of all the world's major religions sit down to table and try to reconcile their

plans for the

apocalypse.
They divide up territories and numbers of men. Jehovah gets his 144,000. L Ron Hubbard gets to take his
people in a spaceship etcetera etcetera, like dividing the spoils of war among conquering
generals. Argument about who gets to ride the flaming chariot.
Where is Satan in all of this?
Christ keeps transubstanciating the wine into his blood in everyone's mouths.
Back on subject, however, one of the many reasons people have killed those who follow other religions is
because of a unique belief in the End Times, that people always believe to be just a day away at some time
in every epoch of history. It could be called Armageddon, Yawmid Din, the Second Coming, Ragnarok, or
more popularly, the end of the world. While different beliefs differ on what this event will actually be like,
the modus operandae is almost always the same: God comes back to earth to gather the faithful to
Paradise and everyone else gets roasted in a lake of fire. Because of this, warring religious factions have
tried to preserve the faithful and demolish the wicked or infidels so that God will come back to a
fresh, clean world when that fateful day comes. In essence, it would be like saving God the trouble of
rooting through the sheep and the goats. In this meditation, Ill look at the end times theories for three
different apocalyptic religions: Christianity, Islam, and Asatru (Norse Paganism for the mythologically
impaired).
First, lets look at the greatest example of a gift to the world gone horribly awry: Christianity. Since as far
back as anyone alive today can remember, it has always been Christianity and its followers that have
become synonymous with witnessing and trying to establish Gods Kingdom on Earth. As a matter of
fact, when most people are skeptical of any religious tradition or deity, its the Christian God and the literal
interpretation of his book, the Bible, that are usually always used to prove either the illogic or bipolarity of
God, while a handful of other traditions succeed in making the Supreme Being look benevolent and kind.
And while Jesus expounded great teachings that, if put into practice as he wanted them put, could have
changed the course of history, you dont need to be a tried and true holy person to know that just about
every person attending any Christian Church, even the clergyman officiating, is a lying hypocrite and has
little to no intention of putting to practice any of the teachings he has picked up in church.
Onto the Christian belief in the End Times, contained mostly in the last book of the Christian Bible, the
Book of Revelation. The entire book is too vague and cryptic in its meaning to be properly interpreted. First
the author reports seeing a slew of malformed creatures worshiping around a golden throne. Afterwards, a
dead lamb that is equally deformed opens the seals of a book, each seal bringing a terrible plague on
Earth. Then a leader rises up, claiming to be God, and places a mark on all of the people that follow him.
Then a reference to Babylon is made, comparing the old dead empire to a whore who falls and is forgotten.
After a thousand years of peace and harmony throughout the Earth, another series of cataclysms befalls
our planet, driving all of the unbelievers to Hell. The Bible gives the number 144,000 as the number of
people who will be saved to reign in the New Jerusalem, with the lamb at the center of the city. The cryptic
nature of this prophecy has given rise to many interpretations. Some say that it will happen just as the
Bible puts it. Others interpret the symbols as meaning the nations of the world, with Babylon usually being
the Vatican and the great leader being the leader of the United Nations.
Forging onward, we come to Christianitys close competitor for the title of Worlds Greatest Religion: Islam.
Founded by the prophet Muhammad, said to be the last in a long line of prophets sent by God to peoples
and cultures all around the world, Islam took its roots in the Arabian peninsula, gaining converts either by
proselytizing or by the occasional use of arms. The Muslim concept of the end times, called in the Arabic
language Yawmid Din, or Day of Reckoning, is contained in great detail in their holy scripture, the Quran
and, unlike the Christian story, is meant to be taken literally. According to the Quran, the angel Gabriel will
blow a trumpet, at which all the dead shall be raised body and soul from their tombs. Both the living and
the dead will come before the throne of God, after having passed by all the prophets, for the judgment.
Simply enough, the good will be rewarded in Heaven, being fed honey cakes and wine by a party of
beautiful virgins, while the evil will be cast into Hell, receiving all sorts of unusual punishments for their
unforgiven sins.
Finally, we come to the only apocalyptic religion that predates the former two: that of the Germanic
peoples, called Asatru by its followers today. The Germanic people, particularly the Vikings, created Gods
in the image of man. Like men, the Gods made love and war, drank, got drunk, and did all the stuff that

people did. The only two major differences were that people worshiped the Gods and the Gods were
immortal. Immortal, that is, until the day of Ragnarok. According to Norse mythology, two wolves
individually chase the sun and the moon. When the wolves catch and swallow their prey, a horn will be
blown in Asguard, the Kingdom of the Gods, alerting the Gods to Ragnarok. Odin, the King of the Gods,
along with a team of warrior gods and the fallen heroes in Valhalla, will face off with the evil god Loki, his
two children, the Fenris wolf and the World Serpent, and an army of frost giants. To make a long story
short, Odins army (with the exception of the Sons of Thor and a few other gods) and Lokis army will kill
each other off and all land on Earth will sink into the Ocean, killing all life on Earth except for one man and
one woman. After all of the devastation, however, the land will come back up, the children of the Sun and
the Moon will rise, the world will be repopulated, and a new set of gods will be worshiped. Morbid as it
seems, you have to admit that Ragnarok in the end seems more like regeneration than total destruction.
In conclusion, we have examined the doomsday prophecies of three world religions. Every other religion on
Earth also waits for something or someone to come along and set the world to right, whether that is a
specific day, or the Messiah, or a Great Prophet, or a Buddha of the Future, or whatever, every religion will
continue waiting as long as religion exists for some great day when good will triumph over evil. Which
gives me an idea. Maybe we Agnostics should have a prophecy of an Agnostic Messiah who will make the
world think for themselves or something like that. Heh.
In Norse mythology, Ragnark is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately
result in the death of a number of major figures (including the gods Odin, Thor, Tr, Freyr, Heimdallr,
and Loki), the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in
water. Afterward, the world will resurface anew and fertile, the surviving and returning gods will meet, and
the world will be repopulated by two human survivors. Ragnark is an important event in the Norse canon,
and has been the subject of scholarly discourse and theory.
The event is attested primarily in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional
sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In the Prose Edda, and a
single poem in the Poetic Edda, the event is referred to as Ragnark or Ragnarkkr (Old Norse "Fate of
the Gods" and "Twilight of the Gods" respectively), a usage popularized by 19th-century composer Richard
Wagner with the title of the last of his Der Ring des Nibelungen operas,Gtterdmmerung (1876).
The "sons of Mm" are described as being "at play", though this reference is not further explained in
surviving sources.[12]Heimdall raises the Gjallarhorn into the air and blows deeply into it, and Odin
converses with Mm's head. The world treeYggdrasil shudders and groans. The jtunn Hrym comes from
the east, his shield before him. The Midgard serpentJrmungandr furiously writhes, causing waves to crash.
"The eagle shrieks, pale-beaked he tears the corpse," and the shipNaglfar breaks free thanks to the waves
made by Jormungandr and sets sail from the east. The fire jtnar inhabitants ofMuspelheim come forth.[13]
The vlva continues that Jtunheimr, the land of the jtnar, is aroar, and that the sir are in council.
The dwarves groan by their stone doors.[11] Surtr advances from the south, his sword brighter than the sun.
Rocky cliffs open and the jtnar women sink.[14] People walk the road to Hel and the heavens split apart.
The gods then do battle with the invaders: Odin is swallowed whole and alive fighting the wolf Fenrir,
causing his wife Friggher second great sorrow (the first being the death of her son, the god Baldr).[15] Odin's
son Varr avenges his father by rending Fenrir's jaws apart and stabbing it in the heart with his spear,
thus killing the wolf. The serpent Jrmungandr opens its gaping maw, yawning widely in the air, and is met
in combat by Thor. Thor, also a son of Odin and described here as protector of the earth, furiously fights
the serpent, defeating it, but Thor is only able to take nine steps afterward before collapsing. The
god Freyr fights Surtr and loses. After this, people flee their homes, and the sun becomes black while the
earth sinks into the sea, the stars vanish, steam rises, and flames touch the heavens. [16]
The vlva sees the earth reappearing from the water, and an eagle over a waterfall hunting fish on a
mountain. The surviving sir meet together at the field of Iavllr. They discuss Jrmungandr, great
events of the past, and the runic alphabet. In stanza 61, in the grass, they find the golden game pieces
that the gods are described as having once happily enjoyed playing games with long ago (attested earlier
in the same poem). The reemerged fields grow without needing to be sown. The godsHr and Baldr return
from Hel and live happily together.[17]

The vlva says that the god Hnir chooses wooden slips for divination, and that the sons of two brothers
will widely inhabit the windy world. She sees a hall thatched with gold in Giml, where nobility will live and
spend their lives pleasurably.[17] Stanzas 65, found in the Hauksbk version of the poem, refers to a
"powerful, mighty one" that "rules over everything" and who will arrive from above at the court of the gods
(Old Norse regindmr),[18] which has been interpreted as a Christian addition to the poem.[19] In stanza 66,
the vlva ends her account with a description of the dragon Nhggr, corpses in his jaws, flying through
the air. The vlva then "sinks down."[20] It is unclear if stanza 66 indicates that the vlva is referring to the
present time or if this is an element of the post-Ragnark world.
High relates that the great serpent Jrmungandr, also described as a child of Loki in the same source, will
breach land as the sea violently swells onto it. The ship Naglfar, described in the Prose Edda as being
made from the human nails of the dead, is released from its mooring, and sets sail on the surging sea,
steered by a jtunn named Hrym. At the same time, Fenrir, eyes and nostrils spraying flames, charges
forward with his mouth wide open, his upper jaw reaching to the heavens, his lower jaw touching the earth.
At Fenrir's side, Jrmungandr sprays venom throughout the air and the sea. [32]
During all of this, the sky splits into two. From the split, the "sons of Muspell" ride forth. Surtr rides first,
surrounded by flames, his sword brighter than the sun. High says that "Muspell's sons" will ride
across Bifrst, described in Gylfaginning as a rainbow bridge, and that the bridge will then break. The sons
of Muspell (and their shining battle troop) advance to the field of Vgrr, described as an expanse that
reaches "a hundred leagues in each direction," where Fenrir, Jrmungandr, Loki (followed by "Hel's own"),
and Hrym (accompanied by all frost jtnar) join them. While this occurs, Heimdallr stands and blows
the Gjallarhorn with all his might. The gods awaken at the sound, and they meet. Odin rides to Mmir's
Well in search of counsel from Mmir. Yggdrasil shakes, and everything, everywhere fears.

Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 January 24, 1986), better known as L. Ron
Hubbard (/l rn hbrd/,ELL-ron-HUB-rd[2]) and often referred to by his initials, LRH, was an American
author and the founder of the Church of Scientology. After establishing a career as a writer, becoming best
known for his science fiction and fantasy stories, he developed a self-help system called Dianetics which
was first expounded in book form in May 1950. He subsequently developed his ideas into a wide-ranging
set of doctrines and rituals as part of a new religious movement that he calledScientology. His writings
became the guiding texts for the Church of Scientology and a number of affiliated organizations that
address such diverse topics as business administration, literacy and drug rehabilitation.
Although many aspects of Hubbard's life story are disputed, there is general agreement about its basic
outline.[3] Born inTilden, Nebraska, he spent much of his childhood in Helena, Montana. He traveled in Asia
and the South Pacific in the late 1920s after his father, an officer in the United States Navy, was posted to
the U.S. naval base on Guam. He attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C. at the start
of the 1930s, before dropping out and beginning his career as a prolific writer of pulp fiction stories. He
served briefly in the United States Marine CorpsReserve and was an officer in the United States Navy
during World War II, briefly commanding two ships, the USS YP-422 and USS PC-815. He was removed both
times when his superiors found him incapable of command. [4] The last few months of his active service
were spent in a hospital, being treated for a duodenal ulcer. [5]
Later he developed Dianetics, something that he called "the modern science of mental health". He founded
Scientology in 1952 and oversaw the growth of the Church of Scientology into a worldwide organization.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he spent much of his time at sea on his personal fleet of ships as
"Commodore" of the Sea Organization, an elite inner group of Scientologists. His expedition came to an
end when Britain, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Venezuela all closed their ports to his fleet. At one point, a
court in Australia revoked the church's status as a religion. Similarly, a high court in France convicted
Hubbard of fraud in absentia. He returned to the United States in 1975 and went into seclusion in the
California desert. In 1983 L. Ron Hubbard was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in an international
information infiltration and theft project called "Operation Snow White". He spent the remaining years of
his life on his ranch near Creston, California, where he died in 1986.

The Church of Scientology describes Hubbard in hagiographic terms,[6] and he portrayed himself as a
pioneeringexplorer, world traveler, and nuclear physicist with expertise in a wide range of disciplines,
including photography, art, poetry, and philosophy. His critics including his own son have characterized
him as a liar, a charlatan, and mentally unstable. Though many of his autobiographical statements have
been proven to be fictitious,[7] the Church rejects any suggestion that its account of Hubbard's life is not
historical fact.
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of Scientology,
a new religious movement. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent
organization, and is responsible for the overall management, dissemination and propagation of
Scientology.[2][3][4] Every Church of Scientology is separately incorporated and has its own local board of
directors and executives responsible for its own activities and corporate well-being. [5][6][7] The first
Scientology church was incorporated in December 1953 in Camden, New Jersey by L. Ron Hubbard.[8][9] Its
international headquarters are located at the Gold Base, located in anunincorporated area of Riverside
County, California, the location of which is kept secret from most Scientologists. [10]
The highest authority in the Church of Scientology is in The Church of Scientology International (CSI) and
the Religious Technology Center (RTC), whose headquarters are in Los Angeles. CSI "is the mother church
and has the mission of propagating the Scientology creed around the world." RTC's main function is to
"preserve, maintain, and protect the purity of the Scientology technology in accord with Hubbard's original
research and to insure its proper and ethical delivery." The Scientology Missions International is under CSI
and RTC and functions as "the central church to Scientology missions worldwide." [11]
Although in some countries it has attained legal recognition as a religion,[12] the church has been the
subject of a number of controversies, and has been described by its critics as both a cult and a commercial
enterprise
The Church of Scientology claims that a human is an immortal, spiritual being (termed thetan from the
Greek word 'theta' meaning life force), that is in a physical body. The thetan has had innumerable past
lives and it is observed in advanced Scientology texts that lives preceding the thetan's arrival on Earth
lived inextraterrestrial cultures. Based on case studies at advanced levels, it is predicted that any
Scientologists undergoing auditing will eventually come across and recount a common series of events.
According to the Church, founder L. Ron Hubbard's discovery of the theta places Scientology at the heart of
the human quest for meaning, and proves that "its origins are as ancient as religious thought itself."
However, Scientology considers that its understanding of the theta distinguishes it from other religious
traditions, especially Judaism and Christianity, in three important ways. First, while many religions fuse the
concept of the body and the soul, the thetan (spirit) is separate and independent. Second, unlike the three
great world monotheisms, Scientologists believe in past lives and that the thetan has lived through many,
perhaps thousands of lifetimes. Third, contrary to Christian concepts of original sin, Scientology holds to
the intrinsic goodness of a being and believes that the spiritual essence has lost touch with its nature. "The
spirit, then, is not a thing," Hubbard writes. "It is the creator of things." [1]
Scientology describes itself as the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others, and all of
life. One purpose of Scientology, as stated by the Church of Scientology, is to become certain of one's
spiritual existence and one's relationship to God, or the "Supreme Being." [2] Scientologists also believe that
people have innate, yet suppressed, power and ability which can be regained if cleared of enforced and
unwanted behaviour patterns and discomforts.[3][4] Scientology is described as "a religion to help people
use scientific approaches to self-actualize their full potential." [5] Believers reach their full potential "when
they understand themselves in their true relationship to the physical universe and the Supreme Being.
"[5] There have been many scholarly studies of Scientology and the books are freely available in bookshops,
churches and most libraries.[5]
The Church of Scientology believes that "Man is basically good, that he is seeking to survive, (and) that his
survival depends on himself and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe," as stated in the Creed
of the Church of Scientology.[6]
Roy Wallis of Columbia University describes Scientology as "a movement that straddles the boundaries
between psychology and religion, [offering] a graded hierarchy of 'auditing' and training, which will
ultimately release fully all the individual's inner potential." [7]

Scientology does not require that their members must exclusively believe in Scientology, distinguishing it
from biblical religions. Scientologists may profess belief in other religions, such as Protestantism and
Catholicism, and may participate in their activities and sacred rites. Jacob Neusner emphasizes this in the
section on Scientology in his book World Religions in America.[8]
Wilson writes that Scientology "constitutes a religious system set forth in the terms of scientific discourse."
Hubbard similarly states that "along with science, Scientology can achieve positive invariable results.
Given the same conditions, one always get the same results ... What has happened is the superstition has
been subtracted from spiritual studies."
The Bridge to Total Freedom[edit]
The Bridge to Total Freedom is the means by which Scientologists undertake personal life development.
Processing is the actual practice of "auditing" which directs questions towards areas of travail in a person's
life to get rid of unwanted barriers that inhibit, stop or blunt a person's natural abilities. This process is
supposed to bring greater happiness, intelligence and success. [10] Training is education in the skill required
to deliver the process of "auditing" to another. [11]
Morals and ethics[edit]
Main article: Ethics (Scientology)
Scientology teaches that progress on The Bridge requires and enables the attainment of high moral and
ethical standards.[11] The main Scientology text on ethics is the book Introduction to Scientology Ethics[2]
Scientology uses the term "morals" to refer to a collectively agreed code of good conduct and defines
ethics as "the actions an individual takes on himself in order to accomplish optimum survival for himself
and others on all dynamics (eight drives in life from self to family to groups to mankind, etc.) Scientology
stresses the rationality of ethics over morals: "Ethics actually consists of rationality toward the highest
level of survival."; "If a moral code were thoroughly reasonable, it could, at the same time, be considered
thoroughly ethical. But only at this highest level could the two be called the same". [2]
Scientologists also follow a series of behavior codes, these are: Auditor Code, Supervisor's Code, Code of
Honor and the Code of a Scientologist.[2]
Hubbard said that "the purpose of ethics is to remove counter-intentions from the environment. Having
accomplished that, the purpose becomes to remove other intentionedness from the environment",
meaning to work towards higher levels of survival for oneself and one's family, groups etc. in order to
achieve new levels of happiness and success for oneself and others.
ARC and KRC triangle[edit]
The ARC and KRC triangles are concept maps which show a relationship among three concepts to form
another concept. These two triangles are present in the Scientology logo.
The ARC triangle is a summary representation of the knowledge the Scientologist strives for. [8] It combines
three components: "Affinity" is the degree of affection, love or liking, i.e. an emotional state. [8] "Reality"
reflects consensual reality, that is agreements on what is real.[8] "Communication", believed to be the most
important element of the triangle, is the exchange of ideas. [8] Scientologists believe that improving one of
the three aspects of the ARC triangle "increases the level" of the other two but the most important aspect
of this triangle is "communication" mainly because communication drives the other two aspects: "affinity"
and "reality".[12]Scientologists believe that ineffective communication is a chief cause of human survival
problems, and this is reflected by efforts at all levels within the movement to ensure clear communication,
the presence of unabridged standard dictionaries for example being an established feature of Scientology
centers.[8]
Afterlife[edit]
In Scientology the human body is regarded as similar to that of other religions in that the spirit will then
leave the body. "Life and personality go on. The physical part of the organism ceases to function." (Ref:
Dianetics and Scientology Technical Dictionary)
Scientology also subscribes to the belief of "past lives", not in the sense of being born in different life
forms, but "to be born again into the flesh or into another body".[citation needed] Scientologists refer to this belief
as "past lives" and not reincarnation. A person cannot move forward unless "aberrations" from past lives
are handled. According to Scientology beliefs, "the individual comes back. He has a responsibility for what
goes on today since he will experience it tomorrow." [13][14]

God[edit]
The Church of Scientology states that it has no set dogma on God and allows individuals to come to their
own understanding of God.[15] In Scientology, "vastly more emphasis is given to the godlike nature of the
person and to the workings of the human mind than to the nature of God." [16] Scientologists believe in an
"Infinity" ("the All-ness of All"). They recite a formal prayer for total freedom at meetings, which include the
verses "May the author of the universe enable all men to reach an understanding of their spiritual nature.
May awareness and understanding of life expand, so that all may come to know the author of the universe.
And may others also reach this understanding which brings Total Freedom ... Freedom from war, and
poverty, and want; freedom to be; freedom to do and freedom to have. Freedom to use and understand
Man's potential -- a potential that is God-given and Godlike." The prayer commences with "May God let it
be so."[17] [18]
Science[edit]
The church considers itself scientific, although this belief has no basis in true science. [19] Scientologists
believe that "all religious claims can be verified through experimentation", according to religious
scholar Mikael Rothstein.[19] Scientologists believe that their religion was derived through scientific
methods, that Hubbard found knowledge through studying and thinking, not through revelation. The
"science" of Dianetics, however, was never accepted by the scientific community, which caused Hubbard
to change its form into a religion.[19] Religious scholar Dorthe Refslund Christensen notes that Scientology
differs from the scientific method in that Scientology has become increasingly self-referential, while true
science normally compares competing theories and observed facts. Scientology eschews external facts
its frame of reference is its own internal sayings and beliefs.
Zeus (Ancient Greek: , Zes; Modern Greek: , Das; English pronunciation: /z(j)us/, z(y)oos)[3] is
the "Father of Gods and men" ( , patr andrn te then te)[4] who rules the
Olympians of Mount Olympus, according to the ancient Greek religion. He is the god of
sky and thunder in Greek mythology. Zeus is etymologically cognate with and, under Hellenic influence,
became particularly closely identified with Roman Jupiter.
Zeus is the child of Cronus and Rhea, and the youngest of his siblings. In most traditions he is married
to Hera, although, at the oracle of Dodona, his consort is Dione: according to the Iliad, he is the father
of Aphrodite by Dione.[5]He is known for his erotic escapades. These resulted in many godly and heroic
offspring,
including Athena, Apollo,Artemis, Hermes, Persephone (by Demeter), Dionysus, Perseus, Heracles, Helen of
Troy, Minos, and the Muses (byMnemosyne); by Hera, he is usually said to have
fathered Ares, Hebe and Hephaestus.[6]
As Walter Burkert points out in his book, Greek Religion, "Even the gods who are not his natural children
address him as Father, and all the gods rise in his presence." [7] For the Greeks, he was the King of the
Gods, who oversaw the universe. As Pausanias observed, "That Zeus is king in heaven is a saying common
to all men".[8] In Hesiod's TheogonyZeus assigns the various gods their roles. In the Homeric Hymns he is
referred to as the chieftain of the gods.
His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak. In addition to his Indo-European inheritance, the
classical "cloud-gatherer" (Greek: , Nephelgereta)[9] also derives certain iconographic traits
from the cultures of theAncient Near East, such as the scepter. Zeus is frequently depicted by Greek artists
in one of two poses: standing, striding forward, with a thunderbolt leveled in his raised right hand, or
seated in majesty.
Ares /riz/ (Ancient Greek: [rs], literally "battle") is the Greek god of war. He is one of
the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera.[1] In Greek literature, he often represents the physical
or violent and untamed aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of
intelligence include military strategy andgeneralship.[2]
The Greeks were ambivalent toward Ares: although he embodied the physical valor necessary for success
in war, he was a dangerous force, "overwhelming, insatiable in battle, destructive, and manslaughtering."[3] His sons Fear(Phobos) and Terror (Deimos) and his lover, or sister,
Discord (Enyo) accompanied him on his war chariot.[4] In the Iliad,his father Zeus tells him that he is the
god most hateful to him.[5] An association with Ares endows places and objects with a savage, dangerous,
or militarized quality.[6] His value as a war god is placed in doubt: during the Trojan War, Ares was on the

losing side, while Athena, often depicted in Greek art as holding Nike (Victory) in her hand, favored the
triumphant Greeks.[7]
Ares plays a relatively limited role in Greek mythology as represented in literary narratives, though his
numerous love affairs and abundant offspring are often alluded to.[8] When Ares does appear in myths, he
typically faces humiliation.[9]He is well known as the lover of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who was
married to Hephaestus, god of craftsmanship.[10] The most famous story related to Ares and Aphrodite
shows them exposed to ridicule through the wronged husband's clever device. [11]
The counterpart of Ares among the Roman gods is Mars,[12] who as a father of the Roman people was given
a more important and dignified place in ancient Roman religion as a guardian deity. During
the Hellenization of Latin literature, the myths of Ares were reinterpreted by Roman writers under the
name of Mars. Greek writers under Roman rule also recorded cult practices and beliefs pertaining to Mars
under the name of Ares. Thus in the classical tradition of laterWestern art and literature, the mythology of
the two figures becomes virtually indistinguishable.
Hermes (/hrmiz/; Greek: ) is an Olympian god in Greek religion and mythology, son of Zeus and
the PleiadMaia. He is second youngest of the Olympian gods. [citation needed]
Hermes is a god of transitions and boundaries. He is quick and cunning, and moves freely between the
worlds of the mortal and divine, as emissary and messenger of the gods, [1] intercessor between mortals
and the divine, and conductor of souls into the afterlife. He is protector and patron of travelers, herdsmen,
thieves,[2] orators and wit, literature and poets, athletics and sports, invention and trade. [3] In some myths
he is a trickster, and outwits other gods for his own satisfaction or the sake of humankind. His attributes
and symbols include the herma, the rooster and the tortoise, purseor pouch, winged sandals, winged cap,
and his main symbol is the herald's staff, the Greek kerykeion or Latin caduceuswhich consisted of two
snakes wrapped around a winged staff.[4]
In the Roman adaptation of the Greek pantheon (see interpretatio romana), Hermes is identified with the
Roman godMercury,[5] who, though inherited from the Etruscans, developed many similar characteristics,
such as being the patron of commerce.

Hinduism is the dominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. It comprises three major
traditions, Shaivism, Vaishnavism andShaktism,[1] whose followers
considered Shiva, Vishnu and Shakti (also called as Devi) to be the supreme deity respectively. Most of the
other deities were either related to them or different forms (incarnations) of these deities. Hinduism has
been called the "oldest religion" in the world, and many practitioners refer to Hinduism as "the
eternal law". (Santana Dharma).[2]Given below is a list of the chief Hindu deities followed by a list of Hindu
deities (including demi-gods).
Within Hinduism, a large number of personal gods (Ishvaras) are worshipped as murtis. These beings are
significantly powerful entities known as devas. The exact nature of belief in regard to each deity varies
between differing Hindu denominations and philosophies. Often these beings are depicted in humanoid or
partially humanoid forms, complete with a set of unique and complex iconography in each case. The devas
are expansions of Bramh into various forms, each with a certain quality.
In their personal religious practices, Hindus may worship primarily one or another of these aspects, known
as their Ishta Devata orIshvara[4] (chosen deity).[5] The particular deities worshipped are a matter of
individual preference,[6] although regional and family traditions can play a large part in influencing this
choice.[7] Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, and the Ganapatya sects of Hinduism states that Vishnu,
Shiva, Devi (shakti), and Ganesha respectively equate to Brahman, and that all other deities are aspects of
their chosen deity.[8]
Besides the Trimurti and Tridevi and aspects of the goddesses already mentioned, Shiva's sons Ganesha
and Kartikeya, Vishnu'savatars like Rama and Krishna are popular deities.

Some deities have regional popularity. Regional forms of Vishnu

include Jagannath, Vithoba and Venkateshwara.
Avatars as incarnations of gods[edit]
Many denominations of Hinduism, such as Vaishnavism and some schools of Saivism, teach that
occasionally, a god comes to Earth as a human being to help humans in their struggle toward
enlightenment and salvation (moksha). Such an incarnation of a god is called an avatar, or avatra.
Hinduism teaches that there have been multiple avatars throughout history and that there will be more.

Vishnu (/vnu/; Sanskrit: ) is a popular Hindu deity, the Supreme God of Vaishnavism (one of the
three principal denominations of Hinduism) and one of the three supreme deities (Trimurti) of Hinduism.
[1]
He is also known asNarayana and Hari. As one of the five primary forms of God in the Smarta tradition,
[1]
He is conceived as "the Preserver or the Protector"[2] within the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the divinity.
In Hindu sacred texts, Vishnu is usually described as having dark complexion of water-filled clouds and as
having four arms. He is depicted as a blue being, holding a padma (lotus flower) in the lower left hand,
the Kaumodaki gada (mace) in the lower right hand, the Panchajanya shankha (conch) in the upper left
hand and the discus weapon Sudarshana Chakra in the upper right hand.
The "Trimrti" (/trmrti/;[1] Sanskrit: trimrti, "three forms") is a concept in Hinduism "in which
the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the
creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver and Shiva the destroyer or transformer."[2][3] These three gods
have been called "the Hindu triad"[4] or the "Great Trinity",[5] often addressed as "Brahma-VishnuMaheshwara."
Brahm (/brm/; Sanskrit: ; Tamil: ; IAST: Brahm) is the Hindu god (deva) of creation and one
of theTrimrti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahm Pura, he is the father
of Manu, and from Manu all human beings are descended. In the Rmyaa and the Mahbhrata, he is
often referred to as the progenitor or great grandsire of all human beings. He is not to be confused with the
Supreme Cosmic Spirit in Hindu Vedntaphilosophy known as Brahman, which is genderless. Brahm's wife
is Saraswati. Saraswati is also known by names such as Svitri and Gyatri, and has taken different forms
throughout history. Brahm is often identified with Prajpati, a Vedicdeity. Being the husband
of Saraswati or Vaac Devi (the Goddess of Speech), Brahma is also known as "Vaagish," meaning "Lord of
Speech and Sound."
Shiva (/iv/; Sanskrit: iva, meaning "The Auspicious One"), also known as Mahadeva ("Great God"), is a
popularHindu deity. Shiva is regarded as one of the primary forms of God. He is the Supreme
God within Shaivism, one of the three most influential denominations in contemporary Hinduism.[2][3] He is
one of the five primary forms of God in theSmarta tradition,[2] and "the Destroyer" or "the
Transformer"[4] among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine.
At the highest level Shiva is limitless, transcendent, unchanging and formless. [5][6][7][8][9] Shiva also has
many benevolent and fearsome forms.[10] In benevolent aspects, he is depicted as an omniscient Yogi who
lives an ascetic life on Mount Kailash,[4] as well as a householder with wife Parvati and his two
children, Ganesha and Kartikeya and in fierce aspects, he is often depicted slaying demons. Shiva is also
regarded as the patron god of yoga and arts.[11][12][13]
The main iconographical attributes of Shiva are the third eye on his forehead, the snake Vasuki around his
neck, the crescent moon adorning, the holy river Ganga flowing from his matted hair, the trishula as his
weapon and the damaruas his instrument.
Shiva is usually worshiped in the aniconic form of Lingam.[14][15][16] Temples of Lord Shiva are
called shivalayam

Kl (/kli/; Sanskrit: , IPA: [kli]), also known as Klik (Sanskrit: ), is

the Hindu goddess associated with empowerment, shakti. She is the fierce aspect of the goddess Durga
(Parvati).[1] The name Kali comes from kla, which means black, time, death, lord of death: Shiva. Since
Shiva is called Kla the eternal time the name of Kl, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" (as in
"time has come"). Hence, Kli is the Goddess of Time, Change, Power and Destruction. Although
sometimes presented as dark and violent, her earliest incarnation as a figure of annihilation of evil forces
still has some influence. Various Shakta Hindu cosmologies, as well as Shkta Tantric beliefs, worship her
as the ultimate reality or Brahman. Comparatively recent devotional movements largely conceive Kli as a
benevolent mother goddess.[2] Kl is represented as the consort of Lord Shiva, on whose body she is often
seen standing. Shiva lies in the path of Kali, whose foot on Shiva subdues her anger.
Ganesha (/ne/; Sanskrit (IAST): Gaea; listen (helpinfo)), also known
as Ganapati and Vinayaka, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon.
[2]
His image is found throughout India.[3] Hindu sectsworship him regardless of affiliations.[4] Devotion to
Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.[5]
Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify.[6] Ganesha
is widely revered as the remover of obstacles,[7] the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect
and wisdom.[8] As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies. Ganesha is
also invoked as patron of letters and learning during writing sessions. [9][10] Several texts relate mythological
anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.
Ganesha emerged as a distinct deity in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, during the Gupta Period, although he
inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors. [11] He was formally included among the five primary
deities of Smartism (a Hindu denomination) in the 9th century. A sect of devotees called
the Ganapatya arose, who identified Ganesha as the supreme deity.[12] The principal scriptures dedicated to
Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, the Mudgala Purana, and theGanapati Atharvashirsa.
Muammad (Arabic: ;c.570 8 June 632[1]), full name Ab al-Qsim Muammad ibn Abd Allh
ibn Abd al-Mualib ibn Hshim () , from Mecca, unified Arabiainto a
single religious polity under Islam. Believed by Muslims and Bah's to be a messenger and prophet ofGod,
Muhammad is almost universally[n 1] considered by Muslims as the last prophet sent by God to mankind.[2][n
2]
While non-Muslims generally regard Muhammad as the founder of Islam, [3] Muslims consider him to have
restored the unaltered original monotheistic faith of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and otherprophets in
Islam.[4][5][6][7] Muslims discuss Muhammad and other prophets of God with reverence, adding the phrase
"peace be upon them" whenever their names are mentioned.[8]
Born approximately in 570 CE in the Arabian city of Mecca,[9][10] Muhammad was orphaned at an early age;
he was raised under the care of his paternal uncle Abu Talib. After his childhood Muhammad primarily
worked as a merchant.[11] Occasionally he would retreat to a cave in the mountains for several nights of
seclusion and prayer; later, at age 40, he reported at this spot, [9][12] that he was visited by Gabriel and
received his first revelation from God. Three years after this event Muhammad started preaching these
revelations publicly, proclaiming that "God is One", that complete "surrender" (lit. islm) to Him is the only
way (dn)[n 3] acceptable to God, and that he was a prophet and messenger of God, similar to other Islamic
prophets.[13][14][15]
Muhammad gained few followers early on, and met hostility from some Meccan tribes. To escape
persecution, Muhammad sent some of his followers to Abyssinia before he and his followers in Mecca
migrated to Medina (then known as Yathrib) in the year 622. This event, the Hijra, marks the beginning of
theIslamic calendar, also known as the Hijri Calendar. In Medina, Muhammad united the tribes under
theConstitution of Medina. After eight years of fighting with the Meccan tribes, Muhammad gathered an
army of 10,000 Muslim converts and marched on the city of Mecca. The attack went largely uncontested
and Muhammad took over the city with little bloodshed. He destroyed the pagan idols in the city [16] and
sent his followers out to destroy all remaining pagan temples in Eastern Arabia. [17][18] In 632, a few months
after returning to Medina from the Farewell Pilgrimage, Muhammad fell ill and died. Before his death, most
of theArabian Peninsula had converted to Islam, and he had united Arabia into a single Muslim religious
polity.[19][20]
The revelations (each known as Ayah, lit. "Sign [of God]"), which Muhammad reported receiving until his
death, form the verses of the Quran, regarded by Muslims as the "Word of God" and around which the

religion is based. Besides the Quran, Muhammad's teachings and practices (sunnah), found in
the Hadithand sira literature, are also upheld by Muslims and used as sources of Islamic law (see Sharia).
While conceptions of Muhammad in medieval Christendom and other premodern contexts were largely
negative, appraisals in modern history have been far more favorable.
Jesus (/dizs/; Greek: Iesous; 72 BC to 3033 AD), also referred to as Jesus of Nazareth, is the
central figure of Christianity,[12] whom the teachings of most Christian denominations hold to be the Son of
God. Christianity regards Jesus as the awaited Messiah (or "Christ") of the Old Testament and refers to him
as Jesus Christ,[e] a name that is also used in non-Christian contexts.
Virtually all modern scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed historically,[f] although the quest for the
historical Jesushas produced little agreement on the historical reliability of the Gospels and on how closely
the biblical Jesus reflects thehistorical Jesus.[19] Most scholars agree that Jesus was
a Jewish rabbi from Galilee who preached his messageorally,[20] was baptized by John the Baptist, and was
crucified in Jerusalem on the orders of the Roman prefect, Pontius Pilate.[21] Scholars have constructed
various portraits of the historical Jesus, which often depict him as having one or more of the following
roles: the leader of an apocalyptic movement, Messiah, a charismatic healer, a sage and philosopher, or
an egalitarian social reformer.[22] Scholars have correlated the New Testament accounts with non-Christian
historical records to arrive at an estimated chronology of Jesus' life. The most widely used calendar era in
the world (abbreviated as "AD", alternatively referred to as "CE"), counts from a medieval estimate of the
birth year of Jesus.
Christians believe that Jesus has a "unique significance" in the world. [23] Christian doctrines include the
beliefs that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of a virgin, performed miracles, founded the
Church, died by crucifixion as a sacrifice to achieve atonement, rose from the dead,
and ascended into heaven, whence he will return.[24]The great majority of Christians worship Jesus as
the incarnation of God the Son, the second of three persons of aDivine Trinity. A few Christian groups reject
Trinitarianism, wholly or partly, as non-scriptural.
In Islam, Jesus (commonly transliterated as Isa) is considered one of God's important prophets and the
Messiah.[25] ToMuslims, Jesus is a bringer of scripture and was born of a virgin, but neither the Son of God
nor the victim of crucifixion. According to the Quran, Jesus was not crucified but was physically raised into
the heavens by God.[26] Judaism rejectsthe Christian and Islamic belief that Jesus was the awaited Messiah,
arguing that he did not fulfill the Messianic prophecies in the Tanakh.
Most scholars agree that Jesus was a Galilean Jew, born around the beginning of the first century, who died
between 30 and 36 AD in Judea.[44][45] The general scholarly consensus is that Jesus was a contemporary
of John the Baptist and was crucified by the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who held office from 26 to 36
AD.[21] Most scholars hold that Jesus lived in Galilee and Judea and did not preach or study elsewhere. [46]
The gospels offer several clues concerning the year of Jesus' birth. Matthew 2:1 associates the birth of
Jesus with the reign ofHerod the Great, who died around 4 BC, and Luke 1:5 mentions that Herod was on
the throne shortly before the birth of Jesus, [47][48] although this gospel also associates the birth with
the Census of Quirinius which took place ten years later.[49][50]Luke 3:23 states that Jesus was "about thirty
years old" at the start of his ministry, which according to Acts 10:3738 was preceded by John's ministry,
itself recorded in Luke 3:12 to have begun in the 15th year of Tiberius' reign (28 or 29 AD).[48][51] By
collating the gospel accounts with historical data and using various other methods, most scholars arrive at
a date of birth between 6 and 4 BC for Jesus,[51][52] but some propose estimates that lie in a wider range.[h]
The years of Jesus' ministry have been estimated using several different approaches. [53][54] One of these
applies the reference in Luke 3:12, Acts 10:3738 and the dates of Tiberius' reign, which are well known,
to give a date of around 2829 AD for the start of Jesus' ministry.[55] Another approach uses the statement
about the temple in John 2:1320, which asserts that the temple in Jerusalem was in its 46th year of
construction at the start of Jesus' ministry, together with Josephus' statement that the temple's
reconstruction was started by Herod in the 18th year of his reign, to estimate a date around 2729 AD. [53]
[56]
A further method uses the date of the death of John the Baptist and the marriage of Herod
Antipas to Herodias, based on the writings of Josephus, and correlates it with Matthew 14:4 and Mark 6:18.
[57][58]
Given that most scholars date the marriage of Herod and Herodias as AD 2835, this yields a date
about 2829 AD.[54]

A number of approaches have been used to estimate the year of the crucifixion of Jesus. Most scholars
agree that he died between 30 and 33 AD.[6][59] The gospels state that the event occurred during the
prefecture of Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea from 26 to 36 AD. [60][61][62] The date for the conversion of
Paul (estimated to be 3336 AD) acts as an upper bound for the date of Crucifixion. The dates for Paul's
conversion and ministry can be determined by analyzing Paul's epistles and the Book of Acts. [63]
[64]
Astronomers since Isaac Newton have tried to estimate the precise date of the Crucifixion by analyzing
lunar motion and calculating historic dates of Passover,[i] a festival based on the lunisolar Hebrew calendar.
The most widely accepted dates derived from this method are April 7, 30 AD, and April 3, 33 AD
(both Julian).[65]
Odin (/odn/; from Old Norse inn, "The Furious One") is a major god in Germanic mythology, especially
in Norse mythology. In many Norse sources he is the Allfather of the gods and the ruler of Asgard.
[1]
Homologous with the Old English"Wden", the Old Saxon "Wdan" and the Old High German "Wtan",
[2]
the name is descended from Proto-Germanic"Wdanaz" or "*Wanaz".
"Odin" is generally accepted as the modern English form of the name, although, in some cases, older forms
may be used or preferred. His name is related to r, meaning "fury, excitation", as well as "mind" or
"poetry". His role, like that of many of the Norse gods, is complex. Odin is a principal member of
the sir (the major group of the Norse pantheon) and is associated with war, battle, victory and death, but
also wisdom, Shamanism, magic, poetry, prophecy, and the hunt. Odin has many sons, the most famous of
whom is the thunder god Thor.
Worship of Odin may date to Proto-Germanic paganism. The Roman historian Tacitus may refer to Odin
when he mentionsMercury as the chief god of the Germanic tribes.[5] Like Mercury, Odin was regarded as
a Psychopomp, "guide of souls" and considered the god who brought poetry to mankind.
Originally, Odin was possibly considered mainly a shamanistic god and the leader of the war band. His
consort was presumably Frijj. The ascetic ritual of hanging from the world tree, Odin's practice of seidr,
his familiar animals (Sleipnir,Huginn and Muninn) and his connection to ecstatic inspiration all suggest his
role as the prototypical shaman. As the society changed, Odin's shamanistic role became less prominent,
although it remained one of his attributes, and he was mostly considered the wise king of the gods and
bringer of victory. Frijj presumably split into Frigg and Freyja, with Freyja being the one to receive most of
the shaman's aspects.[6][7][8]
Parallels between Odin and the Celtic Lugus have often been pointed out. Both are intellectual gods,
commanding magic and poetry. Both have ravens and a spear as their attributes. Julius Caesar (de bello
Gallico, 6.17.1) mentions Mercury as the chief god of Celtic religion.
Odin had three residences in Asgard. First was Gladsheim, a vast hall where he presided over the twelve
Diar or Judges, whom he had appointed to regulate the affairs of Asgard. Second, Valaskjlf, built of solid
silver, in which there was an elevated place,Hlidskjalf; from his throne on Hlidskjalf he could perceive all
that passed throughout the whole earth. Third was Valhalla (the hall of the fallen), where Odin received
the souls of the warriors killed in battle, called the Einherjar. Valhalla has five hundred and forty gates, and
a vast hall of gold, hung around with golden shields, and spears and coats of mail.
A number of magical artifacts are associated with Odin: the spear Gungnir, which never misses its target; a
magical gold ring (Draupnir), from which every ninth night eight new rings appear; and two ravens Huginn
and Muninn ("Thought" and "Memory"), who fly around Earth daily and report the happenings of the world
to Odin in Valhalla at night. He also owned Sleipnir, an eight-leggedhorse, who was given to Odin by Loki,
and the severed head of Mmir, which foretold the future. He also commands a pair of wolves named Geri
and Freki, to whom he gives his food in Valhalla since he consumes nothing but mead or wine.
The Valknut (slain warrior's knot) is a symbol associated with Odin, consisting of three interlaced triangles.
Odin is an ambivalent deity. Connotations of Odin during the old Norse age lie with "poetry, inspiration" as
well as with "fury, madness and the wanderer". Odin sacrificed one of his eyes at Mmir's spring in order to
gain the Wisdom of Ages. Odin gives to worthy poets the mead of inspiration, made by the dwarfs, from
the vessel -rrir.[9]

Odin is associated with the concept of the Wild Hunt, a noisy, bellowing movement across the sky, leading
a host of slain warriors.
Consistent with this, Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda depicts Odin as welcoming the great warriors who have
died in battle into his hall, Valhalla, which, when literally interpreted, signifies the hall of the slain. The
fallen, the einherjar, are assembled and entertained by Odin so that they in return might support and fight
for the gods in the final battle of the end of Earth, Ragnark. Snorri also wrote that Freyja receives half of
the fallen in her hall Folkvang. The souls of women warriors, and those strong and beautiful women whom
Odin favored, became valkyries.
He is also a god of war, appearing throughout Norse myth as the bringer of victory. [citation needed] In the Norse
sagas, Odin sometimes acts as the instigator of wars, and is said to have been able to start wars by simply
throwing down his spear Gungnir, and/or sending his valkyries, to influence the battle toward the end that
he desires. The Valkyries are Odin's beautiful battle maidens that went out to the fields of war to select and
collect the worthy men who died in battle to come and sit at Odin's table in Valhalla, feasting and battling
until they had to fight in Ragnark. Odin would also appear on the battlefield, sitting upon his eight-legged
horse Sleipnir, with his two ravens Hugin and Munin, one on each shoulder, and two wolves Geri and Freki
on either side of him.
Odin is also associated with trickery, cunning, and deception. Most sagas have tales of Odin using his
cunning to overcome adversaries and achieve his goals, such as swindling the blood of Kvasir from
the dwarves.
On September 2, 2009, an amateur archaeologist found a small silver figurine at Lejre in Denmark. It has
been dated to around 900. The figurine is only two centimeters tall and shows a person sitting on a throne
adorned with two beast heads and flanked by two birds on the arm-rests. The excavator interpreted the
piece as a representation of Odin, Hugin and Munin.[10] Scholars specialising in Viking-Period dress and
gender representations, however, pointed out that the person is dressed entirely in female attire, making it
more probably a goddess such as Freya or Frigga.
In Norse mythology, Thor (/r/; from Old Norse rr) is a hammer-wielding god associated
with thunder, lightning, storms,oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing
and fertility. The cognate deity in wider Germanic mythology and paganism was known in Old
English as unor and in Old High German as Donar (runic onar ), stemming from a Common
Germanic *unraz (meaning "thunder").
Ultimately stemming from Proto-Indo-European religion, Thor is a prominently mentioned god throughout
the recorded historyof the Germanic peoples, from the Roman occupation of regions of Germania, to the
tribal expansions of the Migration Period, to his high popularity during the Viking Age, when, in the face of
the process of the Christianization of Scandinavia, emblems of his hammer, Mjlnir, were worn in defiance
and Norse pagan personal names containing the name of the god bear witness to his popularity. Into the
modern period, Thor continued to be acknowledged in rural folklore throughoutGermanic regions. Thor is
frequently referred to in place names, the day of the week Thursday ("Thor's day"; Old
EnglishThunresdaeg, Thunor's day); German "Donnerstag" (Donar's day), bears his name, and names
stemming from the pagan period containing his own continue to be used today.
In Norse mythology, largely recorded in Iceland from traditional material stemming from Scandinavia,
numerous tales and information about Thor are provided. In these sources, Thor bears at least fourteen
names, is the husband of the golden-haired goddess Sif, is the lover of the jtunn Jrnsaxa, and is
generally described as fierce-eyed, red-haired and red-bearded.[1] With Sif, Thor fathered the goddess (and
possible valkyrie) rr; with Jrnsaxa, he fathered Magni; with a mother whose name is not recorded, he
fathered Mi, and he is the stepfather of the god Ullr. The same sources list Thor as the son of the
god Odin and the personified earth, Fjrgyn, and by way of Odin, Thor has numerous brothers. Thor has
two servants, jlfi and Rskva, rides in a cart or chariot pulled by two goats, Tanngrisnir and
Tanngnjstr (that he eats and resurrects), and is ascribed three dwellings (Bilskirnir, rheimr,
and rvangr). Thor wields the mountain-crushing hammer, Mjlnir, wears the belt Megingjr and the
iron gloves Jrngreipr, and owns the staff Grarvlr. Thor's exploits, including his relentless slaughter of
his foes and fierce battles with the monstrous serpent Jrmungandrand their foretold mutual deaths
during the events of Ragnarkare recorded throughout sources for Norse mythology.

Joseph Smith, Jr. (December 23, 1805 June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder
ofMormonism. When he was twenty-four, Smith published the Book of Mormon; by the time of his death
fourteen years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion and religious
culture that continues to the present.
Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont, but by 1817, he had moved with his family to western New York, a site
of intense religious revivalism during the Second Great Awakening. According to Smith, he experienced a
series of visions, including one in which he saw "two personages" (presumably God the Father and Jesus
Christ) and others in whichan angel directed him to a buried book of golden plates inscribed with a JudeoChristian history of an ancient American civilization. In 1830, Smith published what he said was an English
translation of these plates, the Book of Mormon. The same year he organized the Church of Christ, calling
it a restoration of the early Christian church. Members of the church were later called "Latter Day Saints",
or "Mormons".
In 1831, Smith and his followers moved west, planning to build a communalistic American Zion. They first
gathered inKirtland, Ohio and established an outpost in Independence, Missouri which was intended to be
Zion's "center place". During the 1830s, Smith sent out missionaries, published revelations, and
supervised construction of an expensive temple. Nevertheless, the collapse of a church-sponsored
bank and violent skirmishes with non-Mormon Missourians caused Smith and his followers to establish a
new settlement at Nauvoo, Illinois, where he became both a spiritual and political leader. In 1844, Smith
and the Nauvoo city council angered non-Mormons by destroying a newspaperthat had criticized Smith's
power and practice of polygamy.[5] After Smith was imprisoned in Carthage, Illinois, he waskilled when a
mob stormed the jailhouse.
Smith published many revelations and other texts that his followers regard as scripture.
His teachings include unique views about the nature of God, cosmology, family structures, political
organization, and religious collectivism. His followers regard him as a prophet comparable
to Moses and Elijah, and he is considered the founder of several religious denominations, including The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Community of Christ.
Jehovah. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are sometimes called Abrahamic religions because they all
accept the tradition that Godrevealed himself to the patriarch Abraham. The theological traditions of all
Abrahamic religions are thus to some extent influenced by the depiction of the God of Israel in the Hebrew
Bible, and the historical development of monotheism in thehistory of Judaism.
The Abrahamic God in this sense is the conception of God that remains a common attribute of all three
traditions. God is conceived of as eternal, omnipotent, omniscient and as the creator of the universe. God
is further held to have the properties of holiness, justice, omni-benevolence and omnipresence. Proponents
of Abrahamic faiths believe that God is also transcendent, meaning that he is outside space and outside
time and therefore not subject to anything within his creation, but at the same time personal and involved,
listening to prayer and reacting to the actions of his creatures.
Bah' Faith[edit]
Main article: God in the Bah' Faith
The Bah' writings describe a monotheistic, personal, inaccessible, omniscient, omnipresent,
imperishable, and almighty God who is the creator of all things in the universe. [3][4] The existence of God
and the universe is thought to be eternal, without a beginning or end.[5]
Though transcendent and inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of creation, with a
will and purpose that is expressed through messengers termed Manifestations of God.[3] The purpose of
creation is for the created to have the capacity to know and love its creator, [6] through such methods
as prayer,reflection, and being of service to humankind.[7] God communicates his will and purpose to
humanity through intermediaries, known as Manifestations of God, who are the prophets and messengers
who have founded religions from prehistoric times up to the present day. [8]
The Manifestations of God reflect divine attributes, which are creations of God made for the purpose of
spiritual enlightenment, onto the physical plane of existence. [9] In the Bah' view, all physical beings

reflect at least one of these attributes, and the human soul can potentially reflect all of them.[10] The Bah'
view rejects all pantheistic, anthropomorphic, and incarnationist beliefs in God.[3]
Christianity[edit]
Main articles: God the Son and God in Christianity
Christianity originated within the realm of Second Temple Judaism and thus shares most of its beliefs about
God, including his omnipotence, omniscience, his role as creator of all things, his
personality, Immanence, transcendence and ultimate unity and supremacy, with the innovation that Jesus
of Nazareth is considered to be in one way or another, the fulfillment of ancient prophecy or
the completion of the Law of the prophets of Israel.
Most Christian denominations believe Jesus to be the incarnation of God as a human being, which is the
main theological divergence with respect to Judaism and Islam. Although personal salvation is implicitly
stated in Judaism, personal salvation by grace and a recurring emphasis in right beliefs is particularly
emphasized in Christianity, often contrasting this with a perceived over-emphasis in law observance as
stated in canon Jewish law, where it is contended that a belief in an intermediary between man and God is
against the Noahide laws, and thus not monotheistic.
For most Christians, beliefs about God are enshrined in the doctrine of Trinitarianism, which holds that the
three persons of God together form a single god. The doctrines were largely formalized at the Council of
Nicea and are enshrined in the Nicaene creed. The Trinitarian view emphasizes that God has a will, and
that God the Son has two wills, divine and human, though these are never in conflict but joined in
the hypostatic union. However, this point is disputed by Oriental Orthodox Christians, who hold that God
the Son has only one will of unified divinity and humanity, a doctrine known as Miaphysitism.
A small minority of Christians, largely coming under the heading of Unitarianism, hold nontrinitarian views.
Mormonism[edit]
Main article: God in Mormonism
In the Mormonism represented by most of Mormon communities (including The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints), God means Elohim (the Father), whereas Godhead means a council of three distinct
gods; Elohim, Jehovah (the Son, or Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. The Father and Son have perfected, material
bodies, while the Holy Spirit is a spirit and does not have a body. This conception differs from the
traditional Christian Trinity; in Mormonism, the three persons are considered to be physically separate
beings, or personages, but united in will and purpose.[11] As such, the term Godhead differs from how it is
used in traditional Christianity. This description of God represents the orthodoxy of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), established early in the 19th century.
Islam. In Islam, God is believed to be the only real supreme being, all-powerful and all-knowing creator,
sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe.[12][13] Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization
of God as strictly singular (tawhid).[14] He is unique (wahid) and inherently one (ahad), all-merciful and
omnipotent.[15] According to the Qur'anthere are 99 Names of God (al-asma al-husna lit. meaning: "The
best names") each of which evoke a distinct characteristic of God. [16][17] All these names refer to Allah, the
supreme and all-comprehensive divine Arabic name.[18]Among the 99 names of God, the most famous and
most frequent of these names are "the Most Gracious" (al-rahman) and "the Most Merciful" (al-rahim).[16][17]
Creation and ordering of the universe is seen as an act of prime mercy for which all creatures sing his
glories and bear witness to his unity and lordship. According to the Qur'an, "No vision can grasp Him, but
His grasp is over all vision. He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things" (Qur'an
6:103).[13]
God in Islam is not only majestic and sovereign, but also a personal god: According to the Qur'an, he is
nearer to person than person's jugular vein. He responds to those in need or distress whenever they call
him. Above all, he guides humanity to the right way, the "straight path". [19]

Islam teaches that God is the same god worshipped by the members of other Abrahamic religions such
as Christianityand Judaism (29:46).[20] This is not universally accepted by non-Muslims, as Islam denies the
divinity of Jesus Christ as a son of God, Islam views that God does not have any offsprings or descendants,
he created all things including prophets such as Jesus Christ. Most Muslims today believe that the religion
of Abraham (which now split into Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) are of one source, which is The Almighty
God.
Judaism[edit]
Main articles: Tetragrammaton and God in Judaism
Judaism is based on a strict monotheism. The idea of God as a duality or trinity is heretical in Judaism - it is
considered akin to polytheism. "[God], the Cause of all, is one. This does not mean one as in one of series,
nor one like a species (which encompasses many individuals), nor one as in an object that is made up of
many elements, nor as a single simple object that is infinitely divisible. Rather, God is a unity unlike any
other possible unity". This is referred to in the Torah: "Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One".[Deut.
6:4][21]

God is conceived of as eternal, the creator of the universe, and the source of morality. God has the power
to intervene in the world. The term God thus corresponds to an actual ontological reality, and is not merely
a projection of the human psyche. Maimonides describes God in this fashion: "The foundation of all
foundations and the pillar of wisdom is to know that there is a Primary Being who brought into being all
existence. All the beings of the heavens, the earth, and what is between them came into existence only
from the truth of His being."[